Yes, ‘The Crown’ Recreated Kate Middleton’s Sheer Dress

Rumor has it that a collegiate Kate Middleton caught young Prince William’s eye while walking the runway at St. Andrews University in Scotland. The story goes that Middleton got the monarch’s attention during the school’s annual Don’t Walk charity fashion show, in which she wore a dress so legendary that it sold at auction in 2011 for over $125,000. 

Middleton, apparently is an early adoptee of the sheer trend, wore a completely transparent knitted black and gold silk dress with a turquoise band across the top and ribbon woven above the hemline—very Y2K. Underneath, she wore a black bandeau bralette and black panties. (Even royals experimented with fashion in college!)

Photo: Getty Images

Naturally, The Crown is putting its own spin on the fashion show that changed history. From what we can tell so far, it seems like The Crown’s costume designer, Amy Roberts, stayed true to the original source material while giving it a sleeker update. It looks like they even stuck to Kate Middleton’s springy curls and various hair accessories.

While part one of the Netflix show’s sixth season focused on Princess Diana’s romance with Dodi Al-Fayed and the fallout of their deaths, the currently unreleased second half will take place in the late ’90s and early 2000s, centering (among other things) the blossoming romance between the future King of England (Ed McVey) and Middleton (Meg Bellamy). With a relationship practically founded on fashion, we’re excited to see Bellamy’s Kate strut her stuff.